The present invention relates to a control device for activating an oxygen system of a means of transport, in particular an aircraft, a control system having such a control device, an associated method for activating an oxygen system of a means of transport, in particular an aircraft, and a computer program for carrying out the method. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a network for a means of transport, in particular for an aircraft.
Oxygen systems, such as oxygen emergency systems, serve in aircraft to supply the passengers reliably with oxygen e.g., during a pressure drop in the cabin.
In known oxygen systems, oxygen masks for the passengers are provided at various locations in an aircraft, such as above the passenger seats, in the toilets, at the stations of the flight crew and in the galley. The passengers may be supplied with oxygen in different ways. In an oxygen system often used, the oxygen for the passengers is produced by chemical oxygen generators. The oxygen generators are connected to the masks via flexible tubes. Alternatively to the use of oxygen generators, the oxygen may also be stored in oxygen cylinders and delivered as required.
Irrespective of how the oxygen supply to the passengers is ensured, the oxygen (emergency) system ((emergency) oxygen system) for example is activated manually, e.g., from the cockpit, or automatically, if the pressure in the cabin drops to a predetermined limit value (the limit value may, for example, be comparable to the pressure at 14000+0-500 ft altitude). The activation may, for example, be performed by a pressure switch. As soon as the automatic oxygen supply is activated, the paneling (covering) of the passengers' oxygen masks opens and the oxygen masks fall out. The space in which the oxygen masks for the passengers are stored is also referred to as an oxygen (mask) container. At the moment when the passengers have pulled the masks towards them, the oxygen supply is triggered, that is to say for example the oxygen generators are started. The paneling/covering of the oxygen containers or oxygen mask containers above the seats is normally kept closed by an electrical lock. As soon as the lock receives an electrical signal, it is released and the protective flap is opened, e.g., via a tensioned spring.
Conventional oxygen (emergency) systems are activated via an extensive wired cabling. In the normal state, i.e., when no activation of the oxygen system occurs, the cables are currentless and are regularly tested. To achieve a defined availability, generally a substantially greater number of cables are installed than would be necessary for simple activation. This means that the cabling is designed to be heavily redundant to guarantee the required availability.
FIG. 1 shows schematically the conventional structure of a system for activating an oxygen system. If the oxygen system (e.g., when a pressure drop is detected) is to be activated, an activation signal is generated by an activation component 1. The activation signal is then passed on in a wired manner via the cables indicated schematically in FIG. 1 and the power relays G1, G2. As a result, the activation signal reaches the passenger oxygen container 7 purely in a wired manner, and the latter is then activated in reaction to the activation signal.
Independently of the conventional activation of oxygen systems described, DE 10 2009 009 189 A1 and WO 2010/092152 A1 disclose a sensor network in an aircraft, the sensor network having a plurality of sensor nodes. Such a sensor node comprises a sensor unit for acquiring measured values, an energy supply unit for supplying the sensor node with electrical energy and a transmitting and receiving unit for wirelessly transmitting the acquired preprocessed measured values to a central data collection and evaluation unit.